I am reluctant to be honest here, because I'm afraid telling you what I really think will mean I'll never be able to get a reservation in this place in the future because it will be all booked up. This is a little piece of heaven in downtown Vancouver. From the moment you step through the yellow glass and wrought iron front door, you are home.
The building was erected in 1896 and was originally a residence for nuns. Later it was used by rumrunners smuggling liquor to the US during Prohibition. (During renovations, Ken and Janine uncovered an old vault the smugglers had used.) The building was empty for many years before Ken and Janine took it over and began renovating. The rooms are very comfortable and clean. There's a large communal kitchen guests can use, a sitting room with TV, DVD and lending library, a smokers' lounge upstairs and a beautiful open air deck garden which will soon include a hot tub. (Sauna coming for the winter months in one of the upstairs bathrooms.)
The little touches make this place so special. Ken, a wilderness guide, carpenter, photographer and writer is also an astronomer, and has a telescope he built himself in the corner of the common area. On clear nights, he sometimes brings it up to the deck so people can look at the moon or the planets. They installed stained glass in many of the doors. The cheerful yellow front door was brought from India. Janine, an art therapist and artist, personally scraped the old wood with a razor blade before they refinished it. Aside from the upstairs loft, with four beds, rooms have shared bathrooms, but they are lots of bathrooms so there's no inconvenience.
You can't beat the location in downtown Vancouver, not far from the Waterfront, Gastown, and Granville Street.
What really makes it special? Ken and Janine. This place is a labor of love, and that spirit permeates the whole place and attracts the kind of travelers you'll instantly love, and remember always.
Food: There are some good $3 breakfasts to be had just around the corner on Dunsmuir street. The best is the little Hungarian restaurant, painted in blue and yellow. They also have excellent goulash, perogies and strudel. Ken and Janine can direct you to a great pizza place that sells huge slices for $1.25. Or buy groceries and prepare your own food in the communal kitchen.
Transportation: You can take the airporter bus from the airport to the Hotel Vancouver, three blocks away. $12.00
Caution: Evidently, the nearby church sometimes has bell-ringer auditions Saturday mornings, with two hours of tuneless chimes starting at 9 a.m. Bring ear plugs if you hope to sleep in on Saturday, or, for a few laughs, get up early and go up to the deck to have coffee and critique the bell ringers with Ken and Janine.— S.V. Hayter (2005-05-30)